We start with the definition of what the Freedom of Information Act actually is. The Freedom of Information Act provides the public with the right to request the access of records from federal agencies and the government. Under the FOIA, government agencies must release the information that is requested by a person. So how does this pertain to social media?
We all know that social media is becoming very widely used in the political world. Many politicians are using it to get their campaigns and messages across to millions upon thousands of people at a time. Not only can politicians use it for getting their words out to the public, they can use social media as a way of regulating or keeping track of different aspects of what is being said about government regulations.
You could say that since social media has become such a big presence in the past decade that realistically FOIA should go back and redraft their laws. Most FOIA laws that were drafted many many many years ago still apply to social media but may not actually make the most since when it comes to what it pertains to. Just like an email being federally regulated so is social media.
Social media and all that is on it, is FOIA regulated. If a post is put on a social media account of a politician or anyone in the government, that post is saved and can be pulled at any moment if requested by someone. Personally, I think that being able to request a government record at any point in time is a tremendous thing. Everyone should know that government post on social media can be requested, because I do believe some people don't know that information. In return though people need to also understand that their information can also be requested and looked at as well. We should all be weary of what we are putting on social media because once it is out on the web, it is out forever.
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